His JOY in the Midst of Circumstances

I was reading this morning the words of my friend Dwight Hill in his Facts of the Matter email on the subject of joy.  He wrote,

“Joy is not an emotion we can rev up.  Rather it is centered in our choice to obey God.  The result?   A supernaturally produced emotion which is the fruit of walking in the Spirit: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace …”  (Gal. 5:22a)  True biblically based joy produces in us a settled confidence in the future, grounded on our trust in God’s purposes and power.  We know we possess this joy when our lives are liberated from fear because of our abiding relationship with God who is eternal and unshakeable.  Consider:  ^“You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence”  (Psa. 16:11)

I thought to myself that he nailed it.  I have joy in the midst of any circumstance because of my confidence and trust in Him and His purposes.  I am currently home recuperating from some skin cancer surgery and some repair work done to the cartilage in my nose due to my long term disease.  So, for another two weeks I am “house bound” and cannot go out in public – less I scare someone to death with the condition of my face. I am also on a severe diet so that I can lose some of my “steroid” weight since I am in a controlled environment.

I have a choice in how I view this time.  I can feel sorry for myself with yet another result of my fighting this disease over the last seventeen years, OR I can view it as a time of catching up on my reading, projects, and study time.  I can view it as a “jail sentence”, OR a wonderful time of relaxing with no schedule or agenda.  I actually put NOTHING on my calendar for four weeks.  How long has it been since you have not gone to work, had an appointment, and planned nothing for even a week?  This has been the most unusual opportunity in my life over the last fifty years.  What a privilege to have to go nowhere, see no one, and have a totally OPEN schedule to talk by phone or email, but freedom to schedule every day with no agenda.

Joy is the result of His presence and His Spirit within us.  Joy is the result of my trust in Him and His direction for my life.  I am confident that He knew that I would be facing the events of this week long ago.  He is not surprised but has a sovereign plan for each day of my life.  My responsibility is to stay on His pathway and within the circle of His blessing by making right choices.  What a joy to know that He is with me in every circumstance and season of life.  Whatever I face financially, or in my health, or relationships, or challenges in my workplace, He is there with me through the process.  So, this Spring I have experienced His faithfulness in the busy speaking and travel schedule in India and also in the quietness of recuperation at home.  In every circumstance He is right there with us.

My prayer for YOU is that you will experience that same joy in your life.  Are you trusting Him for the details of your life this week?  You can have His joy regardless of the circumstances that you are facing.  I am enjoying His presence in this different season of my life.

Celebrating His Joy,

Kent Humphreys

Chinese Christian Leaders and the One Third Movement

I wish that you could have been with me this last weekend in Chicago as I spoke to the One Third Conference.  This is a movement of Chinese Christian Leaders that want to make the last one third of their lives really meaningful, and in fact each one third of their lives impactful for Christ.  I met key leaders who are taking their skills and gifts to be used across China in numerous ways. Some of them are hosting key delegations of Chinese leaders here in the USA when they are visiting.  They are professional leaders such as doctors and dentists, business leaders, educational leaders, religious leaders, and some of us ordinary people that really want to make a difference.  They are ministering one on one and in large gatherings of thousands.  They have the respect and support of the local and national governments in many cases.  Being able to fellowship with them, speak three times at the conference, and share several Chinese meals with these brothers and sisters was a real delight. We were very well received as we spoke and they really liked my practical words, so God gave me great favor with these new friends.   I had really missed not being able to travel to China the last couple of years.  This was a great complement to my recent trip to India and my love for Asia and God’s people there. (This was only my 4^th trip to fly out of OKC to minister in the last two years.  I have limited most ministry and speaking to driving distances from OKC.  What a thrill and challenge physically to be able to travel out again to serve others!!)

Please pray for God to continue to open the doors to minister to my Chinese brothers and sisters.  I particularly have a heart for the pastors both in the house churches and the above ground church. My Shepherding Horses book has been translated and printed into both simplified and traditional Chinese. We are praying that God will give us more opportunities to distribute both the electronic and the printed versions.  We were able to both sell and give away numerous copies of our books and CDs, so pray that God would use these to reaffirm the messages of the conference.

I went to Chicago a day early before that conference and attended the CEO Conference of Business as Mission business owners who are doing actual business in mainly closed countries around the globe.  There were also some educators and other specialists in this area.  Since I had not been able to be with them in many years, this was a real treat to be able to meet old friends who are doing business in China, India, and other places and meet many new friends.  I was able to share with them what God is doing around the world and how much change that I have seen just in the last 5 to 10 years.  It was a lot of fun and a great 24 hours just before I took a ride across town to be with my Chinese friends. These men and women are really on the front lines of living out the Gospel.

I got a good report on my health this week with my annual physical.  The doctor is amazed that I am doing so well.  So, I am now finally reducing the steroids below the rate of the last few years and hoping that will help on my weight and other side effects because of the high amount I have taken over the last three months.

After going half way around the world to India just a few weeks ago, this week I travel just one mile from my home to Heritage Baptist Church to do an Evangelism and Missions Conference on Sunday.  This is a very global  missions oriented Church, and we will be emphasizing how to impact the person next door in our neighborhood or workplace.  I look forward  to a really good time.

Next weekend I go to the Rewired Men’s Conference of 3,000 men at Falls Creek where I will be doing a couple of sessions on the workplace and leading a workplace panel with three outstanding OKC Christian business leaders.  We hope to distribute thousands of books and CDs for the men and their pastors.  This well be a great way to finish off a busy spring of ministry.   I will take May off to deal with some skin cancer surgery and finally spend time doing really good study and reading and maybe some writing.  This year has had so much speaking ministry that we have not had much time to edit and finish the books of the My Heart to Yours  series.

Thanks so much for your prayers for our India trip.  The follow-up is still going on and we are emailing daily to leaders there.

Please pray for the Heritage conference on April 22^nd and the Rewired Conference on the 27^th and 28^th and pause to thank our Heavenly Father with me for His grace in my health and allowing each of us to represent HIM.

Your brother,

Kent

India Trip Summary – 3/27/12

Eph 3:20-21 (TLB)

“Now glory be to God, who by his mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of-infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes. 21 May he be given glory forever…”

Dear Friends and Family,

My father loved Ephesians 3:20 but often claimed Eph. 6:40 which is DOUBLE 3:20. (There is no 6:40, but that did not matter to Dad as he had a huge faith!)  I love numbers and I love to make good long-term investments.  Our trip to India was all about numbers that will, in turn, result in some excellent spiritual investments.  It is really all about people, leaders, influence, and transformed lives.  I hope to briefly give you a vision for what we saw God do right in front of our eyes in this nation which has massive numbers of people.  In the next few years India will pass China as the most populated nation on the earth.  Everywhere you look there are people, and each person represents an eternal soul for which Christ died.  Many are coming to Christ in evangelism of all kinds – including large crusades.  His church is young and growing and in need of leaders and those who are maturing in the faith.  And, most of all the evangelism has reached only the lower class of society and some of the middle class.  Few of the upper class leaders of society have been reached by the Gospel.  Our goals for the Shepherding Horses seminars were simple:

1. Help the pastors to how to understand workplace leaders and how to build bridges of relationships with them and equip them as Christian leaders.
2. Give pastors insights into how to make DISCIPLES of every follower of Jesus, which is in their church sending them out to their sphere of influence.
3. Encourage workplace leaders in business, government, education, etc to understanding their calling and how they can impact their workplaces for Christ.

We did this through a one and one-half day pastors seminar and a four hour evening workplace leaders seminar in each of five cities across India.

The numbers only tell part of the story, but they do give us some clues as to what kind of return we will see from our investment.  Davidene and I spent 18 days on our journey, taking 11 flights, staying in 6 hotels, and teaching 10 different seminars in 13 days.  We had 5 or 6 of us on the team at any one time.  Two team members had to pull out at the last minute,  and we were joined by key volunteers in every city who helped with all the details of serving anywhere from 75 to 250 people at each seminar. Our leader, Charlie, pulled this off without a problem in multiple venues in just a few days. It seemed like we were always packing or unpacking or standing in line at an airport.  We had only a few hours of free time in the entire 2 weeks.  Davidene, Charlie’s wife, Sally, and Sherry Jordan got to go on a 15 hour journey to the Taj Mahal.

Pastor Perry Bowers did a super job in helping me carry the load the first week, but the last week I had to shoulder most of the primary speaking sessions.  Yet, God sustained me even with my 20% breathing capacity as I gave 39 of the 49 major sessions in 13 days of speaking. Near the end of the 2 weeks, I spoke 4 to 6 times a day and yet seemed to gain strength because of YOUR PRAYERS.  The speaking was not as challenging physically as going up stairs and ramps in the airports and the grind of constant travel by taxis and planes. My body was taxed to the max, and all the while, I was taking breathing treatments, medication, shots, and trying to get rest for an hour at any time that I could.  I would fall asleep in a minute in the afternoon and take a much needed nap. Chris, Geoff, Davidene, and key local leaders shared in the testimony slots which were extremely impactful.  Davidene addressed a key women’s group, and, while not planned, in the later cities she addressed the largely male crowd in both seminars on marriage and communication issues and hit a huge home run – maybe even a grand slam!!  This was simply a miracle considering the culture, but God did something really special in terms of application and reception.  Chris has a 15 year track record of working and living with Indians in the USA and India and was really received well. Geoff was able to share how churches and ministries can put a well in any village for only $600 instead of $6,000 and product cleaner water than what already existed in any city that we visited.  We had a small but powerful team, even though we had to leave some key members at home.  God really knit our hearts and lives together.

Very conservatively, we trained somewhere between 800 to 1,000 pastors and spoke to around 600 to 800 workplace leaders. Each one of those numbers represents a key Christian leader in India and I was able to personally talk to hundreds of them. From 9am to 9pm I was either speaking to the group or meeting personally with these leaders in brief touches with some wonderful men and women in the Body of Christ in India. I was encouraged by many that what we were sharing was a radical shift in thinking and we were told that this message was exactly what the nation needs at this time.  Many key leaders told me that God had revealed to them that what were we sharing was biblical to the core and what God was calling the nation to at this moment in their history.   Well over 50% of the pastors led key churches, were leaders of the denominations, or were leaders in key Christian organizations like missions, bible schools, or training ministries.  A number of them will go back and help us to train many more of the pastors in their networks or communities.  Charlie Abro has been with Campus Crusade for 41 years (and has been fundamental in taking the Jesus Film to India in 104 languages), Rick Warren’s Saddleback program to 27 cities, The  Billy Graham My Hope meetings, and other national agendas.  Charlie is highly respected because of his ability to bring together the entire body of Christ in projects over a number of years.  He is one of the most gifted and capable servant leaders that I have met anywhere in the world.  He plans to put the training into 14 different languages and work though the Bible colleges and down through the key denominations.

So, how do the numbers add up?  Well, when you talk of numbers you need to consider multiplication because in the long run, it works better.  Of those pastors in attendance, at least 20% (that is the normal response in any teaching,  but this was a special group) of those will apply the principles and 20% of those will become leaders in the transformation process.  So, I am expecting that close to 200 will apply these radical concepts that are not “new”, but instead a return to the model of Jesus’ interaction with the twelve.  Of those 200, about 40 to 50 will be key implementers and leaders in the Indian church in REDISCOVERING THE METHOD OF JESUS MAKING DISCIPLES AND TRAINING SPIRITUAL LEADERS.  If only 160 pastors become equippers of the saints (and particularly leaders) – in addition to preaching and teaching –  they will each impact an average of 100 to 200 in their congregation (probably more due to their having the larger churches and many head networks).  Each one that they impact has anywhere from 50 to 500 in their sphere of influence.  The workplace leaders have even larger networks – whether they are a small entrepreneur, an educator, a government official, or an executive in a larger enterprise.  So, if you reach INFLUENCERS, you are in the multiplication business which yields great returns.  We were asking these leaders to NOT ONLY shepherd the sheep but train and EQUIP the horses (leaders) in their churches.  We asked them to continue to preach and teach but ON THE SIDE TO train leaders in a small group and INVEST into and DISCIPLE 2 or 3 new leaders every year or two.  The reception of and openness to radically changing their thinking was very encouraging.  The willingness of many to immediately APPLY these truths IMMEDIATELY was surprising.  Some even picked out the names of their key leaders before the day was over.  Others contacted them before the next day seminar.  Every pastor seminar but one had MORE people the second morning than the first day.  This is unheard of in any conference.

Most spoke English as a second or third language, but the culture is different, and we came from half way around the world.  The hearts of these key leaders were touched by the Holy Spirit and HE went before us and prepared the way.  The prayers and receptivity seemed to build in each city (which were unrelated), yet the prayers seems to have a CUMMULATIVE effect.  The response was the BEST that I have seen anywhere in the world although the book is in 13 major languages and has been well received in Latin America, Europe, Africa, and particularly in Asia.  God is just moving in India through miracles, breakthroughs in the Hindu and Muslim religious groups, in the midst of huge persecution in the north, and in massive crusades in the south.  In the USA most of the “horses” get the message immediately but fewer than 5% of the pastors in the USA get the equipping model that God is calling us to and less than 1% are doing it.  The pastors are just overwhelmed by the sheep making requests and are simply doing what we are demanding INSTEAD of what God has commanded.  So, as Dr. Perry Bowers boldly proclaimed, in our nation we have disobeyed God and are not making disciples and the church is in decline.  Perry is a pastor who has given the last 20 plus years to making disciples of key workplace leaders.  He and other key pastors are my HEROES.

As I am home now, please pray for me now as I continue to reduce my steroids, reduce my weight, get more healthy, AND to understand how I am able to serve Charlie and these pastors as they take this message across India.  How can we assist through email, phone, resources, etc?  Does God want me to ever travel again?  How does my health fit into all of this?  Is this huge breakthrough just in India or is God doing something across the Body of Christ at this time?  I have to re-enter my normal life in my study and at the office.  I have three key speaking events in April then take most of May off for some minor surgery.  So, I will seek to be listening carefully to exactly how God wants us to proceed to not lose any of this fruit and this unique opportunity to serve these leaders.  I really need to hear clearly on the next steps because  investment opportunities such as this are RARE.  Thanks again for your diligence in your PRAYERS and in encouraging us and supporting this effort.  May our HEAVENLY FATHER reward you in every way.

Your brother,

Kent

India Update – 3/26/12

We got  on a plane at 3am Sunday morning to start our long trip home.  God has been very gracious to allow us to meet and serve so many new pastor and workplace leader friends.  In every city there has been a team of volunteers to help Charlie with all of the arrangements for the ten seminars that we did.

Please pray for our re-entry; often people stop praying and the enemy steps in with devices such as exhaustion, temptation, and problems at work and home from weeks of being away, etc. So pray for our health, rest, gradual re-entry, protection, and His presence and guidance.

I have three major speaking times in April and need to get back in the routine and catch up on a lot of work without over doing it.  My health needs to be a priority as I need to continue to reduce the steroids over the next 90 days so that I can make progress on my weight and overall health.

Pray for application from the participants to do what they have committed to do and strength to obey and be sensitive to the Holy Spirit. We have challenged these pastors to pay the cost of equipping leaders one-on-one and in small groups. We have asked them to build saints, not churches and to build bridges with horses who are leaders in the workplace.

Ask God to bless Charlie Abro and give him wisdom as he decides how to take this Shepherding Horses training to Bible schools and denominations across India. The religious nature of the system fights change and relationships, building walls instead of bridges.  So pray for obedience to the radical methods of Jesus.

Thanks for praying.  We will give an update after we arrive home.

Your Partner in His Purposes,
Kent

India Update – 3/24/12

They got it!!!

Tonight we just finished our last session – the workplace conference – to a very receptive crowd.  This was #39 for me in 13 days.  It is Saturday night in Bangalore - the city we started in 2 weeks ago - and we leave for the airport in one hour.  Twenty-five years ago when Geoff and Sherry Jordan lived here, there were 400,000 residents.  Now, there are more than 7 million.  The airport is modern and just a mile away are the poor slums.

A pastor attended tonight who had been here for the pastor seminar 12 days ago.  He had an engineer in his church who was uninterested. The pastor went to him and apologized for always trying to get the man to support his church and his ministry.  He asked the man how he, as his pastor, could help him in his ministry on his job.  The man responded and opened up.  They started a relationship.  His whole paradigm has shifted.  He has now picked out 5 horses to equip. He is overjoyed!  He gets it!

We got up at 3am this morning (Saturday) after a full day (Friday) – with the Delhi pastors in the morning and the workplace leaders Friday night.  I spoke 6 times and was not tired.  I have gained strength during the trip as the prayers from the states and here, and the Holy Spirit have sustained me. Wow has God been gracious and faithful.  Davidene and Geoff Jordan have filled in where Perry and Chris left off and have been well received talking about marriage, water wells, and the Be Transformed course.

I got to visit my friend who lives here in Bangalore and is a musician; he has visited 246 countries sharing Christ in the last 6 years.  He has 40 percent breathing capacity so we are quite a pair.

We have made many new friends here in India among pastors, workplace leaders, and ministry leaders. Workplace ministries are exploding here. We hope to find ways to continue to serve them in the days to come.

More of our transition back home as I will share tomorrow.  Thanks again for your investment by praying for the leaders of India.  This is a special time for this nation.

Your brother,
Kent

India Update – 3/22/12

We were able to take a big step forward today on Thursday, teaching 5 times in Delhi. Geoff Jordan had three short sessions and each time that he spoke we lost power, but only for his 10 to 15 minutes, but Geoff kept right on speaking without lights or a mic. Thankfully, I was never without power for my PowerPoints. The pastor crowd was less than 100 for the first time but was still very receptive; the spirit was excellent.

Davidene, Geoff’s wife, Sherry, and Charlie’s wife, Sallie, took a long side trip to the Taj Mahal. Davidene will speak tomorrow.  I have to do an extra session for a special group, so I will speak 3 times in the morning to pastors and 3 times that evening to the workplace seminar – which will make for a long day.  However, today, I was not tired or weary at all which I attribute to your prayers…so thank you. With 20 percent breathing capacity, all of this is a continuing miracle.

I just found out that we leave at 4:30 a.m. Saturday to return back to Bangalore and rest some that day. We will follow that with the 3 session workplace seminar there, finishing at 9 p.m.  We pack and get to the airport about 1 a.m. for the flight home.  So, we have two huge days ahead.

Charlie is talking 14 languages for training, and working through the key 100+ denominations and all the key Bible colleges to change the pastoral way of thinking while they are young.

The radical shift in thinking of so many of these leaders is truly a work of the Holy Spirit.  Praise God for His grace  and power and speaking clearly to each of these leaders.

Thanks for your prayers. Today was a miracle as I gained strength.  We just need a couple more days of HIS power and strength.

Kent

India Update – 3/21/12

Today marks 2 weeks of our trip and we are now in Delhi (the capital city). We arrived at noon and have a brief afternoon of rest or shopping.  Yesterday we finished in Mumbai and the across the board, the response was maybe the best yet. Davidene spoke twice about wives and hit home runs.

Today is my first day to not speak; so far, I have spoken 26 times in 9 days.

Tomorrow and Friday I am scheduled to speak 5 times each day so I need God’s provision.  We are then off to Bangalore Saturday morning, then do workplace that night before leaving at 3 a.m. Sunday.  Davidene asked how I see it so far.  The numbers have been about what I expected or slightly better, but the gracious response and “getting it” has far exceeded my dreams.

So praise God and pray for clear mind and strength as I speak 10 times in two days.

Pray for clear understanding and application.

Thanks!!

Kent

India Update – 3/19/12

A good day here in Mumbai (Bombay) with the pastors.  Some came from 400 or 500 miles for the training and several had large networks of churches.  Many are very open to the paradigm shift of becoming equippers.

We taught 5 sessions today and Davidene talked to the pastors for the first time and was well received.  Geoff arrived at 2am from china and shared also.  Tomorrow, Geoff, Rajeev, Davidene, and Charlie will all help so I only have one or two sessions.  The is our afternoon off and we travel on Wednesday to Delhi.  I received group prayer again and feel greatly prayed for.  God is providing grace and strength for each day and I am so thrilled to be here.

Thanks for your prayers!  Pray that many will apply what they have learned.

Kent

India Trip – Resources Link

Here is a link to the resources that Kent has been using and referencing during his trip to India. Please click on the following link to view them. There are resources from Kent, Davidene, and Perry Bowers. They are also listed on our website under the “Presentations” –> “Shepherding Horses Workshop” tabs.

CLICK HERE to VIEW and DOWNLOAD.

If you have any questions, please contact our office via email (kworkman@ahpartners.com) or phone (405-917-1681 x101).

India Update 3/18/12

It is Monday morning in Mumbai, the 4th city on our five-city journey. Perry and Chris left Friday evening to go back to the USA and Charlie’s wife joined us.  Geoff Jordan will meet us here in Mumbai.  On Saturday in Hyderabad, Davidene did a seminar for ladies – many of whom are in the network of Sister Teresa who was a close follower of Mother Teresa and is one of the key ladies in all of India.

I finished the pastor seminar that morning to a wonderful group and a great response.  Then that night we had a very well attended workplace seminar where  a number of the attendees had a radical shift in thinking. It was great to see my friend , Vijay Burton, and the members from his FCCI group of leaders (which has been meeting now for six years).  I heard their stories of life change.  That is what it is all about – Jesus transforming the lives of leaders.

I also met with the other group that PKD Lee started four years ago and is still going strong. I spoke twice Saturday night, so that only made 4 times for the day and God enabled me to do it.  I am gaining strength as I go and the spiritual energy and life of seeing fellow laborers is invigorating.

Sunday morning, we continued our whirlwind Charlie Abro tour by flying to Mumbai. Charlie is one of the true servant leaders that I have met anywhere in the world and radiates Christ with his humble service.  He is connected all over India and we have now done 6 seminars in 4 cities in the first 7 days. It has gone on without one major problem of any kind.

We then got a 3 or 4 hour break for the first time in a week.  Last night, we had a workplace seminar for a 100+ leaders and were helped by our dear friend Rajeev Menon.  I got to see some people whom I first met with Cade Willis and Bobby Mitchell some 6 or 7 years ago.  This included Father Anthony D’Souza who is 86 years old (and looks 66); he is a humble, joyful, Godly leader, still travelling the world speaking for the Haggai Institute, the Pope and others.

Last night I needed a break and asked Davidene to say a few words on living with a driven leader.  Well of course she hit a home run.  The response from young men and many women and across the board was amazing.  Father Anthony told me that I need to have her  address the pastors – which we will do.  Pray for her to be well received.  There are major issues here just as in the USA in the marriages of leaders like us.

The whole concept of shepherds, horses, and sheep is really sweeping across these leaders’ thinking and they love the other analogy of frogs and lizards.  We give each pastor a CD-ROM and the book and we sell the book to business leaders. Most purchase the book for themselves and maybe another one for their pastor.  This will help build hundreds and thousands of bridges between pastors and workplace leaders across India.  The response has been wonderful.  I just wish our pastors were this responsive in the USA.

Your prayers have made this trip a huge blessing in seeing God work to radically change the thinking of many key leaders and it is truly a movement of the Holy Spirit in changing a religious mindset.  Pray that these pastors in Mumbai will have the same enthusiastic response that we have had in the first three cities.  This call to equipping and relationships and discipleship is a challenge to build leaders NOT just a church.  It is a huge shift in the current way of thinking and local pressures. So pray for help in this spiritual battle.  The hearts of these pastors are ready and open.

Appreciate you!!

Kent